- Irish politician Neale Richmond is challenging
boxing to fight back against suspected gang lordDaniel Kinahan . - Kinahan is a notorious figure in his country but is also an adviser to stars like Tyson Fury.
- "[Kinahan's] cartel has heaped misery on the streets of our capital through drugs, terror, and murder," Richmond alleged in a statement.
- "There is a responsibility on promoters, TV channels, and fans that mob bosses such as Kinahan are not involved in boxing at any level," he added.
- Kinahan has not been convicted of a crime. A representative of his did not respond to Insider's request for comment on allegations in this story.
LONDON - A leading politician in Ireland is challenging boxing's power-brokers to tackle the role of Daniel Kinahan, the suspected "international mob boss" who is heavily involved in the sport.
"There is a responsibility on promoters, TV channels, and fans that mob bosses such as [Daniel] Kinahan are not involved in boxing at any level," said Dublin lawmaker Neale Richmond.
Richmond's statement on the Fine Gael political party's website follows an episode of the BBC's investigative documentary show Panorama, which highlighted the power Kinahan wields in the fight game.
Kinahan is a boxing agent and adviser to prominent combat athletes at the MTK Global company he founded, as well as fighters not affiliated with MTK, the Panorama TV show "Boxing and the Mob" alleged Monday.
MTK maintains that it has no formal relationship with Kinahan, but does acknowledge that Kinahan "does provide personal advice to a number of boxers managed by MTK Global," the BBC reported on its Panorama programme.
Kinahan is also a well-known figure in his native Ireland and authorities there suspect that Kinahan runs a crime cartel that has generated $1 billion in revenues, as Insider previously detailed.
The Irish Times reported that in May 2020 a court accepted evidence that the Kinahan organized crime group specialized in "execution-type murders" to "protect its core activities" in the drugs and weapons trade.
While Kinahan's father reportedly established the gang's activities decades ago, the day-to-day operations are now under Kinahan's control, Richmond alleged to Insider last year.
Kinahan has never been convicted of any crime and he is at liberty to organize boxing's biggest bouts from his residence in Dubai.
World heavyweight champion boxer Tyson Fury last year praised Kinahan for his role in organizing a slated two-fight series with fellow heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua. Fury later suggested Kinahan should be a political leader.
No date for any fight between the two British superstars has yet been announced, although it is suggested that the first fight between them will happen in 2021.
There is no suggestion Fury or Joshua are involved in criminality.
"This BBC Panorama documentary … highlights the evil actions of Kinahan and how he is still active in the world of boxing from his bolthole in Dubai," said Richmond.
"Any fight or enterprise involving MTK must be questioned and if Kinahan is involved, it needs to be stopped. It is that simple.
"Daniel Kinahan should not be allowed to live a charmed life in exile as the families of his gang's victims continue to mourn here in Ireland.
"As per the Irish courts, Daniel Kinahan is the most notorious mob boss Ireland has seen for years [and] his cartel has heaped misery on the streets of our capital through drugs, terror, and murder.
"His desperate attempts to portray himself as a legitimate and misunderstood businessman are simply pathetic," Richmond finished.
A representative for Kinahan didn't respond to Insider's request for comment on the allegations in this story.